The month of November can mean great opportunities if you have a little patience and know where to look.

When I was younger, I'd spend my Thanksgiving holidays with my grandparents in Kansas City. We would get up early on Black Friday with the intent to bundle up against the weather, beat the crowds, and find deals at big box stores.

Our hopes weren't always realized. I mostly remember being cold, claustrophobic, and ultimately disappointed in what was still available when we finally got inside. Eventually we stopped going to the door-buster sales and were happier with more sleep and less chaos.

In the same way that my family found an option that better suited our preferences, I think of the opportunities offered by the Health Insurance Marketplace. Open Enrollment season has started, and Enroll Wyoming offers free help so people can explore their options.

You can work at your own pace, meet at your preferred time, pick a plan that matches your priorities, and do it all without having to wait out in the cold or worry about a retail riot. When comparing Open Enrollment and my Black Friday memories, one clearly beats the other.

Don't believe me? Dial 211 to connect with one of our Navigators (or scroll down below to our map) for expert help to identify resources and enroll in a plan that meets your needs.

-- Caleb Michael Smith, Enroll Wyoming marketing director

After nearly a year the wait is over, Open Enrollment is here, and people can sign up for quality coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace for coverage to start in 2023.

The marketplace was designed so more people could access affordable health insurance. This year, Open Enrollment in the marketplace runs from Nov. 1, 2022, to Jan. 15, 2023.

Enroll Wyoming Navigators are happy to sit down with people and help them explore the marketplace. They provide assistance with forms to see if applicants apply for added subsidies that bring down the cost of coverage. They can also help families sort plans by their priorities like low monthly premiums, prescription drug costs, or specific doctors or providers.

To connect with a Navigator, dial 211, see our webpage, or keep scrolling down to see our staff list.

People who do not have access to “affordable” health insurance through their jobs may qualify for a premium tax credit to purchase affordable, high-quality coverage through the marketplace. In 2023, a job-based health plan is considered "affordable" if your share of the monthly premium in the lowest-cost plan offered by the employer is less than 9.12% of your household income.

As explained by the Wyoming Department of Insurance, a “family glitch” often prevented family members of an employee who had access to an affordable employer-sponsored health plan from receiving subsidies to buy their own insurance coverage. This was due to the fact that the affordability question was based solely on the cost of health insurance for the covered employee and didn’t include the cost of adding additional family members.

New rules were drafted to fix the “family glitch” by allowing the family members of the employee to base the affordability of the employer’s plan on the total cost of covering both the employee and the additional family members under the plan. If the plan is then not affordable based on this calculation, the family members will be eligible for marketplace subsides that they were not previously.

Estimates are that more than 1 million people will either gain coverage or see their coverage become more affordable thanks to the rule change.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said whether you’re part of a family previously affected by this glitch, or an individual buying insurance on the marketplace, they are “committed to ensuring you have the access to health care you deserve.”

While the new rules don’t take effect until Dec. 12, the new formula is being used during Open Enrollment for marketplace coverage that starts in 2023.

EnrollWyo.org has a fresh look with new features, updated information, and easy ways to connect with Enroll Wyoming Navigators.

Learn more about getting coverage, use an interactive map to find your regional Navigator, check out helpful resources, and contact us to get a free, personalized consultation.

If you or someone you know wants help to better understand health insurance and the work that Enroll Wyoming does, head to EnrollWyo.org.

Enroll Wyoming is promoting its efforts to help more people find health insurance in some special ways.

For the first time we are conducting a livestream event on our Enroll Wyoming Facebook page at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16.

You can also submit questions to caleb@enrollwyo.org.

Wyoming 211 and Enroll Wyoming are providing webinars so people can learn about health insurance options. While they designed to feature local resources, organizers said those who missed their regional presentation will find any presentation helpful and informative

On each date webinars will be conducted at noon and 6 p.m.

November 17: Wind River Indian Reservation and Fremont County

December 6: Statewide presentation

Register for any of the above dates here.

It takes a special kind of person to live on the frontier, especially in Wyoming. Getting by with fewer resources requires determination, skilled resource management, and community cooperation. National Rural Health Day (NRHD) on Nov. 17 showcases the unique challenges rural residents face and those who seek to overcome them.

Enroll Wyoming, a nonprofit that helps people find solutions for their health coverage needs, is celebrating the holiday, health care partners across Wyoming, and those who refer people to the group’s free assistance. We can help more people thanks to these collaborations.

The NRHD theme this year is, “Driving Change/Going the Extra Mile,” which is necessary when you have wide-open spaces and a sparse population. Government agencies call an area “frontier” if it has fewer than six people per square mile.

According to the Wyoming Department of Health’s Office of Rural Health, 47 percent of Wyoming’s population lives in frontier areas, and with the exception of Cheyenne and Casper residents, the rest live in rural areas. That makes Wyoming’s health care organizations, stakeholders, and providers even more important. It also makes taking proper care of yourself more time consuming and challenging.

“Farmers, ranchers, and those in our super small communities are some of the most difficult folks to reach,” Enroll Wyoming Project Director Jason Mincer said. “We really encourage anyone in Wyoming who has questions about health insurance or would like to go through their health insurance options to reach out to us for help.”

Enroll Wyoming’s services are free as we are grant funded. We don't sell health insurance or have any type of sales goals. We simply provide free help so people can identify and access resources. This is an exciting time as it is open enrollment season, which is when people can sign up for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. 

“With rising costs and the rurality of the state, being healthy in Wyoming can be challenging, so I want to do my part in reducing those barriers,” Navigator Angela Thatcher said. “I hope people come see me and the other Enroll Wyoming Navigators this open enrollment season, and throughout the year, so we can help them find quality and affordable health insurance and they can get the health care they need.”

Open enrollment continues through Jan. 15, 2023. Call 211 or visit enrollwyo.org to connect with a Navigator.

For more on National Rural Head Day, visit www.powerofrural.org. You can also download English and Spanish NRHD coloring books.

Between Open Enrollment and the approaching holiday season, we wanted to share basic tips so shoppers can avoid scams. Be on the lookout for:

Cybersquatting sites: Crooks try to impersonate well-known websites by inverting characters or slightly altering the name of a well-known website. Copycat sites may look similar to the real website and can steal your credit information. Carefully read website addresses to ensure you are shopping on a legitimate website.

Copycat and fraudulent websites: Fake websites set up by scammers target online shoppers during the holiday season. Sometimes appearing as ad results in online searches, these sites may contain malware or steal inputted credit card data. Avoid making purchases from untrustworthy sites.

Security certificates: To ensure you are shopping on a secure website, make sure the website begins with “https” -- like https://enrollwyo.org/enrollwyo.org. There should be a small padlock icon next to the webpage address. Keep your computer, tablet or smartphone up to date and install security software.

The bait and switch: Take retailers’ advertisements to the store with you. Unscrupulous retailers may advertise goods at low prices, but when you get to the store the price may be higher than advertised or the product might not be there at all.

Skimming devices: Sometimes skimming devices are placed on gas pumps or ATMs to capture data from the magnetic stripe on the back of credit and debit cards. If something looks out of place or easily wiggles, use a different ATM, gas pump, or register.

Retailers who request payment through wire transfer: Legitimate online businesses will not use wire transfer to collect payment for purchases. This is a sure sign of a scam.

November is not only National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month but it’s also National Caregiver Month. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are an estimated 6 million Americans who are living with Alzheimer’s and nearly 15 million people who serve as unpaid caregivers. In Wyoming, there were about 10,000 people age 65 or older with Alzheimer's and 16,000 caregivers. 

The Alzheimer’s Association offers programs to both caregivers and those interested in learning more about Alzheimer's.

Bees fly at an average speed of 15 miles per hour and can reach speeds of 20 mph, according to the beekeeper book "The Hive and the Honey Bee."

You can email queries to bandagedan@enrollwyo.org or contact us through our webpage.

-- Some Enroll Wyoming Navigators are maintaining regular office hours.

People can meet Navigator Erik Saulness at the Campbell County Chamber of Commerce on 314 South Gillette Ave. in Gillette every Wednesday in November and December between the hours of 3:30-4:30 p.m.

They can also visit him at the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce on 55 North Main Street in Buffalo every Friday in November and December between the hours of 9-11:30 a.m.

In Fremont County, Navigator Alicia Underwood can be found at the Central Wyoming College Library at 2660 Peck Avenue in Riverton from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

-- Enroll Wyoming will present to the Green River Chamber of Commerce during the meeting that starts at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at the

Hampton Inn and Suites at1055 Wild Horse Canyon Road in Green River.

-- Enroll Wyoming will have a table at the community craft fair at the

Ford Wyoming Center on 1 Events Drive in Casper from 3-8 p.m. Nov. 18 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 19.

-- Evanston Regional Hospital at 190 Arrowhead Drive is working with Enroll Wyoming to help people enroll on Tuesday, Nov. 22.

-- From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, you can work with a Navigator at the Platte County Library on 904 Ninth Street in Wheatland.

-- Enroll Wyoming is meeting with people at the Park County Library on 1500 Heart Mountain St. in Cody. People can sign up for appointments at the library between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

-- Enroll Wyoming and Memorial Hospital of Converse County at 111 South Fifth Street in Douglas are partnering for an enrollment event from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29.

-- A Navigator will do a follow-up mini-grants presentation at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the Higher Education Center of Carbon County on 1650 Harshman Street in Rawlins. The Navigator will be available for follow-up appointments on Thursday, Dec. 8.